CamelBak 2018 Rogue Hydration Pack Review

The CamelBak Rogue Hydration Pack is supposed to be designed for bikers, but has quickly become one of the most popular running hydration packs on the market.

The Good

Swagger. Want a pack that looks amazing? Go with the Rogue.

Total comfort

Well built and durable pack

Adequate storage for just about anything you need to carry and located at the bottom of the pack for balance

Great ventilation

The Bad

We hate to say nothing, but we honestly couldn’t find anything negative.

The Bottom Line

It’s going to be hard to find a hydration pack that beats the CamelBak Rogue. It’s got everything you need from plenty of hydration to adequate storage and good looks. Great for your first hydration pack though newer runners may want to try out a slightly smaller pack or even a waist pack until they’re ready for The Rogue.

Full Review

We know a lot of runners could care less how the pack looks, they just want it to function properly. Well, we said it above and we’re saying it again, this pack has swagger! It’s just a sharp looking pack, especially the red, blue, and yellow.

In addition to the reflective strips on the back side, some of these colors stand out a bit at night which is great for those who don’t have the time to run during daylight hours.

Comfort and Fit

With a torso length of 15 inches and a significant amount of storage (as we touch on below) it was surprising to find out this pack only weighed 9.5 ounces.

The portion of the pack that sits against your back is made out of 2 materials. The outer sides are made of mesh while the inner strip is a soft nylon material made to wick away sweat. The shoulder straps are also lined with mesh on the underside which adds to the ventilation and they’re fairly thin so they don’t trap in any extra heat during your run.

Everything is easily adjustable with standard straps and clips.

Hydration

The Rogue includes capacity for a 70 ounce (2 liter) hydration bladder, which on average should last for several hours of hard running.

The bladder included is the CamelBak Antitdote Reservoir (see picture to the right) which includes the quick snap cap that tightens easily by snapping it on and turning it about a quarter turn. The tube is their patented Big Bite Valve, which really isn’t anything fancier than a standard bit valve, except for the cool name. Also the hydration tube can be looped through either side of the shoulder strap and clips down so it’s not bouncing around as you run.

If you needed more than 70 ounces of water you could try stuffing in an 100 ounce bladder and filling it up to 80-90 ounces, but if you’re packing a lot in the bottom storage pocket you’re going to be pressed to ever get more than 70 ounces from this pack, sometimes slightly less.

Storage

This hydration pack tends to have a bit more storage than some runners are used to, mainly because it was designed for bikers. The total capacity of the bag is 200 cubic inches, but 70 inches comes from the bladder, which leaves you with 130 cubic inches for all your goodies.

Elastic mesh stowaway pocket. This pocket sits directly behind the bottom zippered pocket and is accessed once you unclip the top cover. There is no real cover on this pocket, though it does extend about half of the pack which is nice.

Bottom zippered pocket. This pocket also includes an elastic mesh divider and a key clip for some separation.

According to CamelBak this pack was designed to carry “Multi-tool, pump, spare tube, phone, wallet, keys.” As you can see you’ll have a little extra space since you won’t be needing a pump or spare tube. This will allow for some gels, snacks, or even an extra pair of socks for those wet trails.

Final Thoughts

A lot of places we checked were consistently sold out of this pack, so if you find it make sure you grab it!